Valkyrie's Quest
by RhosFurey
Summary: When Skulduggery is stuck in the land of the Faceless Ones, Valkyrie and the gang try to find the missing skull to bring him back. Hopefully its better than my synopsis! XD hope you like it!
1. Chapter 1

**Valkyrie's passer by. **

Valkyrie was dropped off by Tanith on her motorbike. She loved riding on Tanith's bike. The thrill excited her, especially when Tanith would swerve dangerously around the country corners. They were trying to find any information about the location of Skulduggery Pleasant's missing skull. Skulduggery had said Trolls had taken the skull but apart form that, there was absolutely no trace to who would have it. Valkyrie was growing more and more impatient by the day, Ghastly and Tanith too. But until they could do something about it she had to go to school and act normally. Valkyrie never missed a day where she didn't think of Skulduggery. What is happening to him? Where is he? Is he safe? But there was no answer.

As Valkyrie strode home in the evening from the harbour, she heard a rustle in the bushes by the side of her. She was currently walking through a park. She looked suspiciously to it, and posed for a fight. Then, to her surprise, she saw Remus Crux slump out of the bush, a bottle in his hand. He was unkempt and unshaven. He looked rough.

He had been fired by Guild and since had fallen low.

He hadn't noticed Valkyrie standing there, staring until he looked up wiping his mouth with a grimy sleeve.

"You!" he slurred venomously to her. He tried to get up on his feet, but the amount of alcohol he drank had made his legs wobble and he fell back down again.

Valkyrie crossed her arms. "What are you doing here?"

Crux took a swig from his bottle and stayed on the floor, not bothering to attempt standing up again.

"I just am, OK? Can't a man drink where ever he likes?" he defended himself.

Valkyrie _almost _took pity on him, looking at the man who had indulged in drink and despair.

Valkyrie narrowed her eyes, "I'm going now."

"Wait!" he called after her, almost in plead.

She stopped abruptly.

"What?"

"Have you found _that _skull yet?" His voice was cold.

Valkyrie bit her lip. "How do you know about that?" She demanded.

"News travel fast." was all he said.

"We're all doing fine, thanks. China is helping us, its hard for her though, losing her brother."

Crux sneered. "She could always get him back though,"

Valkyrie didn't understand. "What do you mean, 'she could always get him back?' he's dead!" Her voice cracked.

She was just about to turn on her heels and walk away until Crux said. "Ask her about Skulduggery. How he came back to life."

She turned slowly towards him, frowning. "You're not making any sense."

He sighed, "No one ever believes me, never expects some one will ever do what China did." he said this to himself mostly to Valkyrie.

"What did China do? Was she involved in Skulduggery's resurrection?"

Crux was quiet for a while. "Why should I do her dirty work? Ask her yourself. Watch her squirm yourself." He laughed coldly. "If only I was there to see it."

Valkyrie was confused, can she trust a drunkard, a disappointment to the Sanctuary? But he seemed so bitter, so sure. China was never a woman to trust. Skulduggery always said that. Could she trust her now? Even with all the help China was doing to retrieve the skull?

Valkyrie had enough, she started to run away from the scruffy man sitting in the dirt, swigging his whisky bottle.

"Run all you want little girl. But you will never escape!"

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and ignored him, her feet slamming the rigid path.

She needed answers.


	2. Chapter 2

**Challenging. **

Valkyrie knocked at China's Library entrance. As always her butler had answered, grim as ever and Valkyrie walked through the labyrinth of shelves, where books upon books were stacked. Today was quiet, only one wizened looking man with half moon glasses read out of a large, aged book.

Valkyrie saw the door to China's apartment and clenched her fists. She didn't know how China would respond to her questions. She didn't know if Crux was saying was the truth, all Valkyrie wanted to do was to get Skulduggery back, and she would have to know everything about him to do that. No more secrets.

When Valkyrie made it at the door, China opened it at the moment where she held her hand up to knock and greeted Valkyrie. She wore a black skirt suit with a white silk shirt underneath. What China didn't wear often however was a sympathetic smile on her face. Valkyrie gave her a small smile. China had been very supportive to Valkyrie since Skulduggery went. Valkyrie couldn't help thinking that China felt guilty about something.

"How have you been?" China asked, her tone trying to be comforting.

Valkyrie shrugged, "Alright I guess." China let her through the door and led her to the massive, leather sofa of hers. "Tanith and Ghastly have been very helpful. I know they feel as bad as me about Skulduggery but we're trying the best as we can."

China nodded and walked over to the kitchen. "Tea?" She asked to Valkyrie.

She shrugged, "Okay." Valkyrie didn't want any, but she needed China to be completely happy and comfortable. Valkyrie hooked her hands together nervous.

She stared down at her hands as China poured the boiled water into two small, intricate china cups.

China carried them and placed the cups and the saucepans on the surface of the stylish black coffee table.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk about?"

Valkyrie closed her eyes and opened them again and faced China's beautiful face.

"Actually, I was wondering about Skulduggery's past. You've known him for a long time and I was wondering what happened."

China raised her eyebrow. "But you already do, Valkyrie."

She sighed, "I know the story but not the details, I don't know much about when he was mortal or even where he went for those five years."

"Valkyrie," China began slowly. "I didn't actually know him before he died, I was on the other side, you remember? And no one but Skulduggery himself knows where he got to in those long, five years. You're asking the wrong person."

"But what was the reason that made you change sides?" Valkyrie pressed.

China was confused, "I think you're going off the subject here. I thought you wanted to know about Skulduggery, not me?"

Valkyrie paused, trying to work out how she was going to go about it.

"I think," Valkyrie breathed slowly, "That Skulduggery was the reason you changed side, and that you had brought him back to life."

There, she had said it. They tumbled out far too quickly but China had understood her.

Valkyrie braced herself after she had told China about her thoughts, but China was stoned face.

"Valkyrie, I don't know where you got these ideas from, but I had nothing to do with Skulduggery until we met through-," China breathed, not wanting to say his name. "My brother, three hundred years ago. I'm sorry, Miss Cain, but I can't help you in what you want to know."

And with that China stood up and flowed out of the room elegantly, but quick.

Valkyrie sensed that was her time to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Secrets and Revelations**

China waited for a moment after Valkyrie had left. And she sighed in relief but she knew she had to keep Crux quiet. She guessed Valkyrie had bumped into Crux and he had spilled a little about her involvement of the return of Skulduggery Pleasant. She stood next to the massive window which span across the entire wall and she looked down at the twilight of Dublin.

She thought for a minute and then walked over to her phone and dialled.

When one of her men answered, She began, her voice steel. "I want you to take Remus Crux to me. Immediately." She hung up without saying anything else.

She looked back down at Dublin, hands folded behind her back. Now, she watched the sun setting through panicked stricken eyes and knew, that in any time soon, her sun would soon be setting.


	4. Chapter 4

**Uncle Gordon**

Valkyrie had a lot of her mind, she needed to go somewhere peaceful and talk to someone who could help her. She remembered whenever when she was younger and when ever she was upset or sad for some reason, she would always go and seek comfort from her favourite Uncle, Gordon Edgley.

Of course, the body of Gordon was now six feet under, but that didn't stop Valkyrie talking to him.

She walked to Gordon's estate, the two storey, grand building that was her second home and in the near future would become hers. She didn't like that though. She could never own something that belonged to Gordon. She didn't want to replace everything Gordon placed his signature on. Valkyrie entered the security code and went into the hall. She immediately climbed the staircase and hurried into the late Gordon's office. His things were still there, untouched since he passed away. She skipped past the desk and straight to the wall of bookcases, found the false book and pulled it. A secret passage way opened and she was yet again welcomed with the magical objects Gordon secretly possessed all these years.

She wasted no time to open the case to the stone where the apparition of Gordon appeared, smiling at her.

"I'm so glad your little visits are coming so frequently these days." Gordon smiled to his niece.

"Hello, Gordon. Yes, it seems I have more spare time these days." She smiled sadly.

Gordon started walk towards her, but then stopped abruptly. "I always forget I'm not real." He previously had his arms in the air to embrace but they now hung loosely at his sides. "But, I'll give you a virtual hug."

Valkyrie laughed, "No, really, Gordon. You know I'm not a hugging person. Besides, things are not all that bad."

"No?" Gordon asked sceptically. He looked at Valkyrie as she stood there saying nothing.

"How's school?" Gordon smirked.

This caused Valkyrie to react. "Urgh, I hate it! Honestly, it seems a million more time as boring after all the investigating. I wish I could keep working for the Sanctuary."

"You were never academic, Valkyrie. But I bet you can throw a good punch or two." He mimed a right hook, his fist hitting the air. Valkyrie shook her head, amused and slightly embarrassed. But she was laughing, a rare thing these days.

Valkyrie scanned Gordon's many selves of books which contained all things magical and vital to any investigation.

"Do you know where we could find any Trolls?"

Gordon raised an eyebrow, not dislike the way Valkyrie did too. "Trolls are mischievous creatures and money grabbing snitchers. No wander they went to nick Skulduggery's skull, but I always wandered, if Skulduggery won back the other skull through a poker game, how on Earth did he win it without a skull in the first place?"

Gordon frowned, walking to where Valkyrie stood, searching for a book about Trolls.

"I guessed he got someone to do it for him." Valkyrie replied half minded.

"Yes, but how?" Gordon pointed out a spine of a book on a nearby shelf Valkyrie hadn't got to yet.

"Thanks," Valkyrie murmured and walked to the book.

Gordon continue to ponder, "If Skulduggery needed to tell someone to win it for him, how did he tell them? He had no mouth!"

Valkyrie sat down on Gordon's desk, scanning through the pages of the book. Chin in her hands.

Gordon realised Valkyrie had lost interested in what he was trying to figure out and joined Valkyrie at her side.

He looked down sadly. "maybe we would never know how he did it, never know where he went in those five years and we would never know how he came back to life the way he did."

Valkyrie stopped reading and looked forwards, she starred at the lined books on the opposite wall and thought about what would happen if she could never find his original skull. She regretted not knowing more about him, his past life, his family he was so quiet about, the mystery of how he knew the Necromancer, Wreath and where he went in those five years. She should have known him better. Skulduggery knew her inside out but Valkyrie had never taken the interest in to how he felt.

Most times, Skulduggery didn't want to express in what he felt and about his life. Valkyrie remembered the man who had changed her life, her guru in magic and most of all, a dear friend.

She and Gordon were deep in their own thoughts and memories of their enigmatic friend, Detective Skulduggery Pleasant.

Than, waking up the spiritual Gordon with a start, she thump the surface of the desk with her fist and said determinedly. "One day we will ask these question and he will answer them to us. He will come back to us."

Through the empty weeks, she had not cried, she had willed herself not to cry, that Skulduggery wouldn't want her crying over him. But now, Valkyrie shed her tears with passion and sadness. She saw the tears drop onto the mahogany surface and stain the wood darker than the original shade.

Gordon looked helplessly at her, for he couldn't comfort her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Death Magic**

When Valkyrie composed herself and helped herself to a cup of tea, with Gordon annoyed he couldn't have any, she wrote down notes about where she could find the Trolls.

"Trolls are like Hermits," Gordon told her. "They find shinny things and store it away with them, pile upon pile and stay there for months until they grow tired of their pretty things and sell them off and steal new goods. I suspect in this time they would had sold on Skulduggery's stolen skull."

Valkyrie took a sip of her hot tea, "I should inform Tanith and Ghastly about this. Tomorrow we would go to this place," She looked back at her notes, "Dead Man's Coven." She ignored the fact why the coven was called the 'Dead Man's Coven' and gave Gordon a positive smile.

"I was wandering, has that Necromancer visited you yet?" Gordon asked, his eyes narrowed.

Valkyrie's smile was wiped of her face straight away. "I don't want to meet him again."

"You're not thinking over his suggestion?"

Valkyrie shrugged, "I dunno. It's dark magic, _death magic_. And you know what everyone feels about Necromancers, plus, I couldn't betray Skulduggery like that."

Gordon looked at her squarely. "But you do know that it could help get Skulduggery back."

Valkyrie shook her head immediately. "How could Wreath possibly know that. Maybe it's a trick, to get me against Skulduggery and everyone else who tried so hard to get me good at my elemental powers."

Gordon stood up straight from kneeling at the desk. He crossed his hands. "Maybe you should meet him again. Talk things through, and if you still don't trust him, forget it."

Valkyrie considered it. She knew her Uncle was wise and she should listen to him. Anyway, Valkyrie should try everything she can to get Skulduggery back. The world hung in the balance.


	6. Chapter 6

**Mind Games**

After an of hour talking and discussing ways of interrogating a troll and about whether Wreath is really intent on wanting to save Skulduggery, Valkyrie had to leave.

Valkyrie, before she glanced at her watch, knew it was late. She didn't bother to send out her reflection today as it was the Summer holidays and she had no need to bring her out for disguise. But the only problem was that her parents would be worried.

The sky was darkening and that must've been quite late as it didn't get dark until ten, she rushed back home, trying to figure out what she was going to say to her mum and dad.

"Hello, dear." Desmond, Valkyrie's father, mumbled as she entered the house. Her father was sat at the table, kneeling over piles of paper and chewing the tip of his pen. He smiled a greeting to his daughter fleetingly and concentrated on the paperwork, his eyes anxious. Melissa, Valkyrie's mother was at the kitchen washing dishes, she frowned at Valkyrie, "Good day?"

Valkyrie nodded, grateful they weren't suspicious and went to the fringe. She was starving.

Melissa looked at her odd. "No food again?" She was finished with the dishes and turned to Valkyrie.

Valkyrie shrugged, "I forgot, me and my mates were having too much fun." Valkyrie tried to sound enthusiastic. She found some ham and salad cream and made herself a sandwich with bread she found in the bread cupboard.

She eyed her father as she munched on her ham sandwich, standing up. "What's up with dad?"

Valkyrie's mother rolled her eyes. "Your father forgot to do the bills." She started to walk out the room to the living room, where the television was on. "Honestly, he'd lose his head if it wasn't screwed on." she said exasperated and left the room.

Valkyrie sat down at the table and tried to push some of the papers away for space to place her small plate.

"Nice day?" Desmond looked up. He now sat back in his chair with the pen resting behind his ear and his hands behind his head. When his wife left the room it was his only chance to relax.

Valkyrie nodded, not looking up from her sandwich.

Her father sat forwards, Valkyrie knew he was concerned.

"How are your friends? What's their names?"

Valkyrie was quiet for a moment as she made up some names.

"Emma, Jake, Rosie, Daniel, Roisin -"

Desmond raised his hand, "Okay, I'm only checking."

Valkyrie smiled.

"It's just that you haven't seem well. You look very sad these days."

Valkyrie bite her lip when her father wasn't looking. "Do I?"

Desmond shrugged, "But what do I know? You're a teenager. Teenagers tend to become more moody and with the hormones -"

"Daaad," Valkyrie moaned. It was one of _those _talks.

"Okay, okay. I'll shut up now. And, to be honest, I probably won't remember what you'll say anyways. Seriously, before that accident, I was never this forgetful."

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. "What accident?"

Desmond sat back in his seat and rubbed his chin, trying to recall the moment it had happen.

"I remember being with your Uncle, Gordon it was. It was before you were born, before I met your mother in fact…I think"

Valkyrie kneeled forward, interested in what her father was going to tell her. She rested her head in her hand.

"It was in a pub…in Dublin I think. Well, Gordon and I were celebrating the publication of his first book. So, me and him were just drinking, having a laugh like any young men would do of course." Then Desmond frowned as he tried to remember, "Then, a man came to sit with us, peculiar fella, but had a wit sharp as anything. Apparently he knew us, or Gordon, or me…I don't really remember. I remember laughing and I remember thinking, 'why the heck is he wearing sunglasses in doors?'"

Valkyrie was getting more and more interesting in the conversation as it went on.

"And?" She pressed.

"Well, he left," he shrugged. "Gone quick as a hawk. But this was when the strange bit occurred. I was talking to Gordon, dunno of what, but I just remember talking, about the funny man with the red hair,"

Valkyrie had no doubt that it was Skulduggery Pleasant he had spoken to, but how could he be connected to this incident?

"A couple of men appeared, all threatening and hard. Well, Gordon and I didn't like them of course, and they suddenly started on us, as if they specifically wanted to attack us." He smiled at the memory. "I think I even punched one of them, dunno why of course. But the guy I hit gave me a good right hook to the temple and I was a gonna. Sure that was what got my memory all jumbled up."

He was quiet for a moment and murmured, "What a funny dream."

"Sorry?" Valkyrie didn't quite catch that.

"Oh," he shrugged, "Just a dream I remember having after I got knocked out. It was set in the same pub but a skeleton joined in with the bar fight. Then the men who tackled us in the fight for the first place sparked out flames and such."

He chuckled, "I will always remember that, but nothing else."

Valkyrie frowned and absorbed what her father had told her.

She asked, "Are you sure you didn't know that man in the sunglasses or the red hair? Did you know him from before?"

Her father stared into space, "I've honestly forgotten half of my life. Not anything of school, I hated that, no loss there, but its like I haven't quite seen my memories through my own eyes. You get me? Like a person has just played a film in fast forward in front of my eyes but you can't really tell if it's your mind or not?"

Valkyrie gaped, she definitely knew that feeling, it was like when she would touch the cool surface of the mirror and have the day of memories from her reflection streaming into her mind and when she would look through them, it felt very alien and strange to her.

She started to have a dry mouth and she had to tell someone. Gordon would be the perfect person.

She suddenly got up from her seat and ran up the stairs.

Desmond was left in his chair, still looking into space, only half aware he was alone and he ushered a single word completely randomly, but it was the only word he used to describe that bar fight.

"Pleasant."

And then he snapped out of the memory and looked at the half filled in pages.

"Now, where was I?"


	7. Chapter 7

**The Return of Fletcher.**

Tanith and Ghastly met Valkyrie outside her home in the morning. Valkyrie's reflection was out and was going to spend the day with her parents on a day out. No fun for Valkyrie though, she had other ideas. Ghastly was driving Skulduggery's Purple Menace with Tanith was sitting in the passenger seat, Valkyrie crawled into the back uncomfortably, and found someone she didn't expect.

"Fletcher?"

And indeed there was the last Teleporter, Fletcher Renn. His annoying , little, cocky smile on his lips and his ridiculous hair all spiked up to make him look more taller.

Valkyrie nodded to him and frowned, "You're back then?"

Fletcher's shoulders sagged, "Why do I hear a hint of disappointment?" he asked to Tanith and Ghastly at the front.

They ignored him and Ghastly started driving. Fletcher looked out of the window, grumbling to himself, "Not so much as a 'how do'…even after I saved the world… and what do they do? They treat me like dirt they do…"

Ghastly looked at Valkyrie through the rear mirror.

"We got you're message. What's so important at Gordon's you want us to see?"

Valkyrie didn't tell them straight away. "I found somethings out at Gordon's about Trolls. I thought we should do some research."

"Is that all?" Fletcher moaned and disappeared from Valkyrie's side.

"For God's sake," Tanith moaned.

Valkyrie stared at Tanith in question and Tanith explained.

"He's being doing that before we picked you up. He would teleport out of the car and try to catch a spot where the car would be in another place and transport back."

And, to make Valkyrie understand more, Fletcher appeared again at Valkyrie's side. A smug grin on his face.

"How good was that?"

Ghastly rolled his eyes and expressed his irritation. "You know, the next time you'll do that, you could end up either run down by the car, end up in the boot or inside the engine. You wouldn't like that now, would you?"

Fletcher merely shrugged and disappeared again, but as they continued driving for a couple of minutes, no Fletcher appeared. Tanith brought her phone out, "I think I better check." She looked uneasily to Ghastly.

She dialled a number and it answered.

"Fletcher?" Tanith said.

"Tanith?" he said, pleasantly surprised, "Hey, I didn't know you had my number, how flattering of you."

Tanith ignored him, "Where are you?"

"At Valkyrie's Uncle's, of course. Say, how do you get my number?"

Tanith hung up and turned back to Valkyrie. "That boy did save the world but some days I just want to kill him."

Valkyruie laughed, but continued seriously.

"He is being protected, is he? He is the only one who could close the gate again and make sure the world are safe from the Faceless Ones."

Ghastly started, "Cleavers have been keeping their eye on the gate, to make sure no Gods enter through when they realise it's still open. And Fletcher has indeed being look after in his home town, London. Guess whose now his official personal body guard?" he grinned and gestured to Tanith, who let her head fall into her hands in despair.

"No!" Valkyrie laughed, but she felt very sorry for her. Especially with the fact that Fletcher had a childish crush on Tanith Low.


	8. Chapter 8

**Seeing a Ghost.**

They arrived at the estate and they quickly got out of the car and out in the rain. Although it was approaching July, a storm was brewing in the sky, and Valkyrie hurried to the door and filled in the lock system. She got in time before she got soaked through and, with a swipe of movement from her hand, she was bone dry.

Tanith and Ghastly followed in, Ghastly drying himself and Tanith, who wasn't an Elemental.

Valkyrie looked past the two as she burst into fits of laughter when she saw Fletcher walk inside, dripping from head to toe.

He didn't look impress. His hair had gotten flat and sensible, and his face glum.

He looked at how the three were all dry.

"Damn, why can't I do that?"

Valkyrie arched an eyebrow, "How come you didn't teleport inside?"

Fletcher dragged his wet sogged shoes to the living room, "I haven't been here yet haven't I? I didn't know where to teleport."

"You could've gone somewhere else," Tanith said. "While you waited for us."

Fletcher sat down, quiet. He hadn't thought of that.

Valkyrie waved her hand and Fletcher was dry. He looked up at her, smiling.

"Its not because I _like _you, its jut that it don't want the furniture ruined."

But Fletcher wasn't convinced. "Whatever you say." he gave a crooked smile at her.

Valkyrie couldn't help but to smile back.

Ghastly went straight to business and clapped his hands together. "So, where do we begin?" he asked Valkyrie.

Valkyrie started climbing the staircase. And when she reached half way she turned back to them.

"I want you to stay here. I have something…or someone to show you."

Tanith looked at Ghastly and Ghastly looked at Tanith.

"What?" They both said in unison to Valkyrie.

She gave them a enigmatic smile, "You'll see."

She quickly ran up the stairs and jumped into the secret room. She opened the case where the stone was.

Gordon appeared, and jumped to see Valkyrie again. He raised his eyebrows.

"Oh."

Valkyrie frowned. What was it?

"Honestly, Valkyrie, one day would have to be enough. But I guess I do have that effect on people."

Valkyrie smiled, she shook her head. "Gordon, I'm going to tell them about you."

Gordon's eyes widened. "Gosh, really. Well, it's going to be different, I tell you that." He started pacing, nervously.

"Are you Okay?"

Gordon looked slightly panic striken, "Yes, yes. It's just that it's going to be strange, talking to other, new people."

Valkyrie smiled reassuringly.

"It's going to be fine. Tanith loves you already anyway. She has read everyone of your books, and Ghastly, well, you've known him a long time."

Gordon stopped in mid step. "Really?" he seemed relaxed now.

"Really."

"Okay then. Take me to them."

He disappeared and Valkyrie closed the box and held it under her arm carefully, racing down the the ground floor.

Tanth was curled up reading Gorodn's unfinished novel a third time. Ghastly was sewing a snag from his shirt and Fletcher was just walking around the place, showing himself around, but he did it rather irritably.

They heard Valkyrie running down the stairs and turned to her expectantly. Tanith stood up and joined Ghastly and Fletcher in the hallway.

Valkyrie rushed pass them into the ounge and polaced the oak box on the table. They all followed her, curious.

"Well, I want you to meet someone." And with that, she opened the box with the Echo stone inside and a rather sheepish Gordon appeared. He waved a nervous wave and looked at the people's expression.

Fletcher gaped, "Cool!"

Tanith smiled so big it stretched from ear to ear, and Ghastly nodded to his friend.

Tanith couldn't help herself and hopped to the virtual Gordon.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. It is you, isn't it?"

Gordon looked at Valkyrie then back at Tanith, "I suppose I am, I share his…my memories, I remember the people he met and so, I guess so."

"I'm a huge fan, I mean, you wrote a book about me! I'm so flattered."

Gordon began to feel more comfortable. "I think that was one of the best books I ever wrote. You were a very inspirational person and I just had to write a heroin."

Tanith clapped her hands delightfully, which was very uncharacteristic of her.

Gordon blushed, "You are a very beautiful woman, Miss Low. I wish you well."

Tanith blushed and Fletcher huffed in jealously.

"Is someone going to tell me who the hell is his old guy?"

Valkyrie was about to protest that Fletcher should have more respect until Goron himself answered for her.

"I'm the…late…or current…or whatever Gordon Edgley. Valkyrie's Uncle. I was…am…a writer. And I like to know who has offended me so?"

"I'm the last ever Teleporter and is thelast chance to saved the world."

"Hmm, nice title." Gordon turned to his neice whispered into Valkyrie's ear. "This must be Fletcher Renn, right? The annoying one?"

Valkyrie smiled. "The one and only."

Gordon looked at Fletcher's dumb folded face and smiled. "You remind me of myself when I was your age, I was quite cocky when I was twelve."

"Oi, I'm seventeen!" Fletcher whoned, offended.

Gordon shook his head. "Only kidding."

And he walked pass Fletcher, who wasn't amused at all and mouthed to Ghaslty when Fletcher wasn't looking, '_I wasn't.'_

Ghastly laughed outload and Fletcher glared at him, suspicios. Ghastly just smiled innocently.

The night was probably, in Valkyrie's opinion, one of the nicest nights she has ever had since Skulduggery went. Put aside Fletcher moaning that he didn't want beans or toast and decided to teleport himself into a post restaurant, only to come back with spagetti all over him.

But it was nice. Tanith and Ghastly was like their oldselves. Casually laughing at Gordon'd bad jokes and reminising old times. Valkyrie left herself drift back and sink in the sofa, hearing the calming, soothing voice's of her dear friends.

Her sleep was so serene she even imagined Skulduggery walking towards her, hands in pocket and that atmosphere around him that told her he was in his funny, cheeky mood.

She smiled in her sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Necromancer**

Valkyrie woke up pleasantly and saw the bright sunshine spilling out of the opened curtains. She found herself laying on the leather sofa and sat up, hearing voices in the kitchen. She just then registered the fact that she had forgotten all about why they were really here. She guessed last night was too perfect to stop.

Valkyrie dragged her feet into the kitchen where she saw Fletcher and Ghastly bickering over who should have the last of the bread.

"Why won't Fletcher teleport to the shop and buy some?" Suggested Valkyrie.

Fletcher turned to protest. "Look, I'm not your mobile shopper who you slay away to get bread. I have rights."

Valkyrie rolled her eyes and dug deep into her pocket. "Here, here's a couple of Euros. Now be a good boy."

Fletcher held the coins in his hand and looked at Ghastly then to Valkyrie and then to his hand, he nodded, "Okay, but only because I'm starving." he declared, then he vanished.

Tanith walked into the room following the phantom of Gordon who entered the kitchen. "I might cook some eggs," Decided Gordon, sitting himself down on the table.

Valkyrie looked at him. "Er, Uncle, you can't eat. You're just an anagram." Valkyrie said uncomfortably.

Gordon's face fell in realisation, "Oh yes. So I am."

Valkyrie sighed, then remembered what she had been planning to do.

"Guys, I asked you here so we could get into action. It's been far to long and we have a location for the Trolls and I think we could get our hands on one to interrogate."

Ghastly, Tanith and Gordon sat there, listening to her intently.

"I agree," Tanith stood up from the table, "We need to get started. We've wasted time as it is."

Ghastly nodded too, "So, where are these Trolls?"

"Dead Man's Coven," Replied Valkyrie with a tone of foreboding in her voice.

"Ahh," Nodded Ghastly remembering the name.

"Do you know where it is?" Valkyrie asked. Finally, they had a starting line.

Ghastly nodded, "I have maps in my library. Dead Man's Coven is on a magic line where it's invisible to mortals and only Sorcerers can enter. I will go now. I'll call when I find anything."

Ghastly started to the front door when Fletcher appeared with a bag of bread. "Hey! Aren't you going to have some bread or what?"

Ghastly smirked, "'Fraid not." And he disappeared outside to his van.

Fletcher stood there for a moment, then shrugged. "More for me then."

Valkyrie continued. "Okay, until Ghastly rings back for the information, Tanith, you can join me to see Guild."

Tanith scowled, "Why are we going to see Guild for?"

"Because the Sanctuary must know something. And we have to find people to help us, we can't do it alone."

Fletcher raised a hand, "Hello, what about me? I did save the world last time, you know."

Valkyrie shrugged, "You can come along, if you behave."

"Behave, what do you think I'm going to do? Set fire to the place?"

"I wouldn't put it pass him," muttered Tanith, low enough for only Valkyrie to hear.

Gordon stood up and clapped his hands, "Well, I guess I better get going. I might have a kip."

He smiled to Valkyrie, Tanith and Fletcher. "Good luck."

Valkyrie waved him goodbye and he disappeared into the glowing Echo stone.

"Right, a ride on my bike then?" Offered Tanith.

Fletcher grinned, "Go on!" but Valkyrie stopped him sitting on the end of the seat.

"She means me, we can meet you there, Mr Teleporter."

He sighed, "One day, Tanith." and he disappeared.

Valkyrie laughed and sat on the bike, but when Tanith held out her helmet to her she saw something in the sky.

It was like a black streak of lightening, but the sky was blue and clear. It came out of nowhere and it shot down to the middle of the road and hit the tarmac. But it didn't flash away like any normal lightening stroke would, it stayed and the then shadows came out and swirled around the lightening stroke very fast, then a foot stepped out of the black vortex, than a leg appeared and following that the body of Solomon Wreath, the Necromancer.

His cane stepped in the rhythm he walked and when he submerged out of the shadow it shot back into the sky and disappeared as fast as it had arrive.

He strode over to the motorbike and smiled a greeting to Valkyrie and Tanith, who were too stunned to speak.

"I was hoping to catch you."

"What are you doing here?" stammered Valkyrie. She was still perched on the bike.

Wrath tapped his fingers on his cane as he thought. "I was hoping to hear if you had an answer?"

"An answer?" Valkyrie arched an eyebrow.

"Aye, an answer whether you want me to tutor the lessons of Necromancy."

Tanith looked at Valkyrie in amazement, shaking her head slowly. This was the first time she had heard of it.

Valkyrie shrugged, "Been too busy."

Wreath nodded as if he believed her but of course he wasn't convinced. "You know it would help you get Skulduggery back."

Valkyrie had eventually got up from the bike and stood uncomfortably on her feet. "How can I trust you?"

"You can't, but you have no choice."

"She does!" Piped up Tanith stepping between Wreath and Valkyrie. "She can either keep clean and work with her friends, and she forget everything about your…offer."

But she added, gently. "But I _do _appreciate everything you did for us on the Farm. We are grateful, but this does not mean we shall be allied in the future."

Wreath didn't move but just looked at Valkyrie and handed her a card. "In case you change your mind."

And with that he turned back, his cane tapping on the floor and another flash of black erupted from the sky and swallowed him up. He was gone.

"Wow," admitted Valkyrie. "He does make an entrance, I give him that."

Tanith eyed the card in Valkyrie's hand. "What does it say?"

Valkyrie hadn't looked at the card yet but did so now. It was plain in black with red writing.

_Cemetery lane_

_The Forgotten Grave_

_Friday, 9.00 o'clock_

_Bring no one _

"You're not thinking of going, are you?" Tanith asked darkly.

Valkyrie didn't look up from the card. "We need to try everything that could save Skulduggery. I _have_ _to _do it."


	10. Chapter 10

The Deleterious

The gate was still open. The plan was still intact. This time however, things became easier.  
Skulduggery Pleasant was gone. The Diablerie was old, too much on the past. Now, they must start again. They were something new, exciting and the word would spread across rebels around the country. It would intrigue them, excite them, join them. Now was a new era, now was to call and change. The light was dimming and dark was spreading, faster and faster. Soon, the whole magical and mortal world would be shed in darkness. He world would truly be ready for the Faceless Ones to live upon. Now was the time. Now the Deleterious were here. And now they seek the skull.

Who I behind this? Ha, I can t wait until you find out! I hope my idea is going to work out great! Got a real surprise install for you!  
Hope you like! 


	11. Chapter 11

She had to do this. She didn't know why, but something inside told her that she should and that she was meant to do this. So, what? She was meant to be a Necromancer all along? After all the effort Skulduggery and Tanith had done to teach her the art of Elemancy. Could she turn all that hard work to save her teacher, her partner, her friend?  
But most importantly, could she trust Solomon Wreath? Valkyrie's head spun as Tanith rode her motorbike expertly and they arrived at the old Waxworks museum, the holding place of the Sorcering council. The Sanctuary. They met Fletcher Renn standing, his arms crossed and nodded to them as they approached. He wore a frown and pointed to a wax model, He won t let me in. The usual wax statue of Phil Lynott, the singer of the band, Thin Lizzy stood by the entrance posing with his guitar. He was the key. He smiled to the two of them.

"I haven t seen you in awhile. What is your business here?"

He ignored Fletcher, who he didn't know and refused to let him enter. Tanith answered him,

"We wish to speak to Guild or anyone who holds the files."

"I shall ask,"

Then the wax work stood still and stared as if suddenly his soul had just left his body. Valkyrie knew he was checking with the new Administrator, who was Tanith's colleague from the London Sanctuary, Frightening Jones. This was one of the clues that other countries were worming in to the Irish Sanctuary. Phil came back and nodded,

"You may enter, but Guild is in a foul mood. Be gentle."

Tanith winked, "We'll try," Then Phil added,

"Is he with you?" He gestured Fletcher, Valkyrie nodded.

"He follows us like a lost pup, we can t get rid of him."

The wax model smiled and smiled to Fletcher, who didn't return one back. Valkyrie smiled sadly when she walked through the wall door to the Sanctuary. She remembered when Skulduggery said she was his lost puppy who he found and couldn't get rid off.

As they entered, Cleavers were lined everywhere, security had tightened and there was another entrance to pass through before they actually could get to the main hall. The Cleavers stood there with their Scythes and asked for the password in a special language Valkyrie nor Fletcher didn't understand a word of. Only Tanith answered it. Valkyrie still had no clue how to pronounce it.  
They were allowed in as the Cleavers stood apart and Fletcher looked at Tanith.

"It's the language the Ancients spoke long before Gaelic or English came upon these shores."

Valkyrie nodded, seeing as she was a descendant of the Ancients, she thought she could try out the language. She asked. Tanith nodded,

"It would be useful to learn it. I only know a few words myself, so I couldn't teach you. But I know someone who can."

"Who?"

"She's lovely but can be quite intimidating at times. Her name is Genevieve Strop. The name gives you a clue of her personality." Tanith explained.

"Charming," Thought Fletcher. Since the death of Mr Bliss, Guild had to find other Elders. He chose a trustworthy person to himself and to the Sanctuary, his name was Fortunatus Phoenix. He was a gentleman and very patient, and Valkyrie remembered when she had first met him with Tanith and he certainly left an impression, particularly with Tanith. Valkyrie grinned, seeing Tanith flatten her hair unconsciously before she entered. Fletcher rolled his eyes. Valkyrie slowed in her pace when she saw Fortunatus Phoenix waiting in the middle of the hall to meet them. His grin grew wider when he saw Tanith along side Valkyrie. Fortunatus had raven black hair, curly and bouncy. He wore slight stubble and his skin a light pink. He had green eyes any woman would melt at. Valkyrie couldn't help but admit he was very handsome.

"Miss Cain, Miss Low, Mr Renn. Very nice to see you again."

The two girls smiled, Fletcher shook his hand reluctantly.

"How are things?" Tanith asked. Since they found out Thurid Guild wasn't apart of the Diablerie they did feel a bit guilty at doubting him. But Guild wasn't making it easy for them to like him. So they weren't too caught up about it.

Fortunatus shook his head. "He is slightly under the weather. Constantly other Grand Mages are sticking their noses in our business." He sighed.  
"Is he willing for us to talk to him?" Valkyrie asked hastily.

He smiled a wide toothy smiled. Valkyrie felt Tanith falter a little. Fletcher nudged Tanith.

"I don't think he's willing to talk to anyone. But who am I to stand in the way of his work."

He gestured to go ahead of him and they walked to Guild s office. Fortunatus followed behind. Tanith got the feeling he was checking her out. Fletcher gave him a look that could've killed him. But, on to saving Skulduggery Pleasant!  
Valkyrie tapped at the door and waited for an answer. After a moment pass, everything was silent. Tanith bounded on harder. Still, nothing. Then Fortunatus came forward and opened the door, his head going through the small crack.

"Grand Mage," He informed him, "You have visitors."

Valkyrie couldn't see the Grand Mage but Fortunatus just nodded and opened the door wide for them.

"He permits you." And Elder Phoenix left with a ripple of his robe behind him.

Valkyrie came in first. She saw that Guild was sitting at his desk. Since his kidnap he had looked much paler than usual but he resumed his cold stare towards the three of them.

"Is this about the mission to save Skulduggery Pleasant from the Faceless Ones?" Guild, as always put aside any pleasantries.

Valkyrie nodded, "We think we have a link to where the skull could be located. Apparently, a Troll had stolen the skull whilst Skulduggery was asleep not long after he was raised back to life. Ghastly is now working out where they are."

Guild held his chin, his forefinger stroking his beard. He looked bored. Fair enough. Tanith folded her arms. She couldn't hide her displeasure at Guild's non enthusiasm.

"We must find the skull before it falls in to enemy hands. We can t risk the gate being opened again in order to release the Evil Gods." Valkyrie nodded, "We were hoping that you could spare agents or detective to help in our search. There is only a handful of us and we have no equipment nor an official case. We require help from the Sanctuary."

Guild contemplated this. Silent.

"Why would I wish for the return of Skulduggery Pleasant?"

Valkyrie's jaw dropped. You don't honestly believe he is still the enemy?!"

"You cannot be too careful."

Valkyrie was outraged. "He saved you! He risked the planet in order to save you. He put Fletcher's life and rare ability at danger!" She pointed at Fletcher, who was staring at Guild, trying to pinpoint what was so special about this guy the Diablerie wanted to swap him for. "Please, after all that has happened between you and Skulduggery, that you put that aside and forgive him and admit you were wrong. The same way Skulduggery admitted he was wrong about you!"

Valkyrie was incredibly emotional and desperate. She stopped, suddenly sensing Tanith and Fletcher staring at her. Valkyrie sighed seeing Guild unmoved. She shrugged her shoulders and turned to get out.

Guild stopped her, "Alright. I see how important Skulduggery is to all of you. And Skulduggery was one of the most successful Detective I had." He nodded. "I file this as official Sanctuary business."

He didn't continue. He yet to apologise of mistrusting Skulduggery. But, then again, Skulduggery wasn t here to accept it. Tanith shook his hand.

"Thank you."

Fletcher waved his hand and followed Tanith, who met Valkyrie at the door. Valkyrie nodded to Guild and left the room.

Fortunatus met them at the door and clapped his hands, ready to work.

"Right, I guess we need some help."

Tanith raised her eyebrow, "Were you listening?"

Elder Phoenix shrugged, "I have authority to know everything what is happening in the Sanctuary." He looked at them. "I think I know who can help you." He added.

He turned on his heels and the others hurried behind him, following him down twisting corridors. Valkyrie saw the Sanctuary full at work. There was rooms where Detectives work out their clues together and tried to solves cases. Skulduggery never had been involved with these Detectives however.  
Valkyrie saw about thirty Detectives exchanging papers and ideas and theories.

"This is our Detective Department." He told them. Some detectives noticed him and bowed their heads respectively.

"What are they investigating?" Valkyrie asked curiously. Fortunatus walked by the working men and women and they followed. "Currently there have been a few murders."

"Of who?" Tanith asked concern.

"Humans. At the hand of magic."

"Why would Sorcerers be killing humans?" Fletcher wondered. Fortunatus shrugged, "Perhaps they are still Diablerie out there? Those who wish for revenge?"

Tanith disagreed, "No, I don t think so. If they wanted revenge they would be after us." Tanith glared at Valkyrie and Fletcher worried. "They are not vampires? They seem to be the only creatures who harm humans."

Fortunatus shook his head, "There have been no signs of physical wounds on the victims. Vampires kill to feed and these bodies haven't been fed upon. We should get involved." Tanith persisted.

"No," insisted Fortunatus, "You have problems of your own. I haven't known Skulduggery Pleasant except for that mere meeting a few years back, but I respect his remarkable work. I, and everyone here, shall be involved in the mission to retrieve back Detective Pleasant."

Valkyrie smiled fondly at him, "Thank you," She really was grateful.

"Now," added Fortunatus, "on a cheery note. I have some people who would help you. Let me introduce you."

Fortunatus turned to the room and called out a name, Omen Fury. A man with long black hair down to his back, stood up from his working booth and approached the four of them. He was around thirty-five with emerald eyes that gleamed. He took Tanith s hand and kissed it and did the same with Valkyrie. Valkyrie couldn't help but wipe her hand when she took it back. Fletcher gave his most manly hand shook he ever gave. Fortunatus continued.

"Omen is an expert on Trolls and other magical creatures. He should be handy for when you travel the tunnels that lead to Dead Man's Coven."

Omen nodded and added to them, "Dead Man's Coven is riddled with creatures of such magic and wonder. Years before, the time of the Ancients, Sorcerers created a Sanctuary, as it were, from suspicious mortals. It was their band of existents that was apart from humans. But now it is no longer much use to us as we are adaptable amongst them. We blend in with them and we are well comfortable. I think that has evolved as we have grown close to them." Omen gave an air about him of a scholar. He brimmed with knowledge and curiosity. He seemed generally interesting in Valkyrie too. It was obvious he was fond on history and Valkyrie was apart of that lost history.

"Of course, there are many more to introduce you to." Fortunatus called out another name, Jacintha Ghost. A tall woman with brown, curly hair approached. She was wearing black bike leathers, not unlike Tanith's brown leathers. She was beautiful but she had a scar along her neck. A long hideous scar. Valkyrie didn't want to think what had happened when that was caused. A permanent imprint of the intention to kill. She closed her eyes slowly and opened them again. Valkyrie saw the woman smile. She was very young. Only twenty herself.

"Hey," She hugged the three of them. She had a character that didn't bother hiding and being conscious. She was outgoing. Valkyrie liked her.

"Just call me Jack!" She said casually.

"She is in charge of weaponry." Fortunatus explained.  
Valkyrie raised an eyebrow. Fortunatus frowned at her.

"Do you not know?"

"Know what?" Tanith asked.

"There seems to be others who are intending to find the skull before you do."

This was new to Valkyrie but Tanith had thought this would happen.

"How would any body else know?"

"Perhaps Wreath didn't only tell me."

Tanith shook her head. "I don t think so. As much as I don t trust him, I don't think we'll inform enemies too. He wanted us to get it."

Fletcher thought. "Maybe he wants us on a wild goose chase?"

Jacintha pointed out, "Wreath is a Necromancer. I think we should just forget him and concentrate on these bad guys."

"Righto," Tanith agreed.

"Anyway, there is one other you should know about."

Valkyrie, Tanith and Fletcher waited for another agent come. Before Fortunatus called the name someone rose from one of the booths. It appeared they had been listening to the conversation.  
Valkyrie's jaw dropped, for she knew him and she smiled slightly at the thought of them working to each other. But he was gifted. She knew that when he had located where the gate was. It was the Seer, Finbar Wrong.

He winked and grinned. "Looks like I've finally made it in the big shot." Then he said quietly, for only Valkyrie to hear. "And I am so nervous."

Fortunatus introduced them. Surely he could locate Skulduggery's skull. He must know how to. Valkyrie looked at the team. They were seven strong, and that excluded China and her agents. Omen, Jacintha, and Finbar. Now she wondered if she could included Wreath in to it. Only tonight she would know. She felt the card he had gave her in her jacket pocket


	12. Chapter 12

Crux s Last Moments.

China receive a phone call, and she answered it. She was preparing her brother's, Mr Bliss, memorial service. It would have to be a big event, after all, he was the Grand Mage for the Sanctuary whilst Guild was held hostage. China took a deep breath before taking the call.

"China Sorrows," She answered formally. She was glad her voice hadn't break.  
It was one of her contacts or agents of informants Spies as Crux had called them. Talking about Crux, they had found him.

"Where was he?" She asked, she wasn't very curious about where he's been but she had to know that he wasn't near anyone she knew he couldn't spill her secret too.

"We found him in a tavern not far from here. Blind drunk he was. But we've given him hard tablets that have got him out of that state." He assured her.

She nodded, "Bring him up." she ordered him.

After a moment, China didn't know what to do with herself. She was suddenly nervous, which was peculiar for her. She thought about how she should sit or stand when Crux would enter the door. But did it really matter? Did it really matter what he would first think of his killer?  
She had to do that. There was no other option. If it had been a different situation she would take mercy on him. But it wasn't. Skulduggery was gone, and it was no hope of Valkyrie finding his skull. All she had done, all the good things she decided to do was all for Skulduggery Pleasant.

"Mam," A big built man popped his head around the door and checked if she was in order. She was. She stood before the dark window and saw Crux enter behind her guard. His eyes red rimmed and the vein on his temple pulsing. He had lost a lot a weight, and turned very scruffy.  
He tried to avoid China s gaze and shrank back behind the guard as if her stare was causing him pain. She smiled.

"Mr Crux," She greeted, without any warmth of course.

Remus Crux snapped back, correcting. "It's detective Crux actually!"

"Then where's your badge, detective?" She taunted.

Crux didn't answer but sat himself on her sofa, clearly very tired. The pills the agents gave him to sober up was effecting him. China was stirring two cups of tea she had made after the call.

"Tea?" Crux's dim eyes registered her and asked in a low voice. "Have you got anything stronger?"

China laughed, "Now, now, Crux. I was hoping we can have a chat over a nice cup of tea." She placed the cup before him on the coffee table despite him.  
"So, I hear you've been making conversation with a certain Valkyrie Cain."

Crux snorted, "She doubted you, did she? She questioned you. Well, they need to know."

"No, they do not need to know, Remus. Skulduggery is gone now, and he won't came back." She sighed, as if what she had said had only just dawned on her. Be strong.

"You re sure about that? The skull is still missing. Why are you so sure they won t find it?" He looked at her with narrowed eyes, then they widened as he just realised something. "You have the skull!"

China continue smiling patronizingly. "Crux, what makes you think I am hiding the skull?"

They looked at each other, her eyes sparkling. Crux sighed.

Crux shook his head. "You're playing with my mind!" He looked away so that her face couldn't effect him.

"Why am I here?" Crux finally asked.

"You're here so I can make sure you won t tell anyone else about my secret."

Crux frowned, "How are you going to stop me?" He was sweating.

"Simple." China whispered. She gestured to her guard who had remained in the corner, looking. He came at her request and grabbed Crux by the arm. Crux was lifted out of the sofa and he struggled.

"You won t get away with this! I won't let you!"

His face was a picture of horror. China didn't smile, she didn't feel superior or important like she felt before when she had founded the Diablerie and ordered a death of a mage. She felt sick. But she had no choice.

"Goodbye Remus." Her voice dull.

"NO!" He was shaking his head, disbelieving. "I won't tell anyone. I swear!" He begged.

China didn't say but took a sip from her tea and stood up and turned her back on him. The guard led him out of her apartment and into another room. Though the room was on the other side of the library, she could still hear his screams.

_**Poor, poor, poor Crux!! I love this character dearly, even though he s annoying! I m quite sad now. But I have a great idea for this and he had to die. I m sorry. But I guess some of you don't like Crux so maybe you're happy. Is China going back to her routes? Maybe. Does she actually have the skull? Maybe. Is Desmond actually a Mage? Maybe.  
Do you want a find out? Maybe. If you do, please keep reading and you shall have the answers!! )  
Thanks so much!! Hope you like it!!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**The Wastrels**

Valkyrie couldn't doubt that there wasn't any rivalry between Tanith Low and Jacintha Ghost. They were very similar but apparently there was only room for one feisty, leather wearing, weapon hurling woman in these parts. The two woman eyed each other as they both jabbed against each other as they entered the side of the van and both sat stiffly next to each other. Fletcher was next to Finbar, who generally enjoyed his presence. Valkyrie was amused. Omen was at the front next to Ghastly who was driving, and Valkyrie was right at the back by herself, looking out of the window.

The van was pretty cramp with all of them, including Ghastly who arrived shortly with a map to the location, and of course, the van. By the time they arrived at the opening to a tunnel leading to Dead Man's Coven, the gang were stretching and swinging their arms over their shoulders to circulate blood around their bodies.

"Everybody ready?" Valkyrie asked to the troop of them. She gazed down the tunnel that was shed in darkness. She had a bad feeling about this.

"Looks a piece of cake." Fletcher concluded. Valkyrie doubted his bravery.

Omen was armed with several torches for those who weren't Elementals.

"Right, Troll are usually Nocturnal, but hopefully we'll be able to wake one without it attacking us."

"And don't worry guys," Jacintha assured. "Enough weapons to go around."

She held up something that looked like a Water pistol.

"Er, thanks. But isn't this a water pistol?" Fletcher arched a eyebrow.

"Good observation,"

The rest laughed, but were equally confused.

"Trolls hate Water. It's too clean and pure for them. So, that's why we've got water guns."

"She's right." Omen confirmed.

Once everyone had their personal water pistol, they all began to descend into the darkness before them.

"How long is this tunnel exactly?"

Ghastly lit the map to see better, "This says a mile or so. Not too far."

The walls were painted with ancient drawings of magic and sorcery. Some were of sacrifice and eyes. Valkyrie was slightly unnerved.

"These Ancients who made the Dead Man's Coven. What side were they on?"

Omen answered, lifting his torch light over the strange and sinister carvings and paintings.

"Well, originally it was good Ancients who hid from mortals long ago. They created this Sanctuary. But as the Ancients were soon made accustomed with them and they abandoned these labyrinths and so more evil beings took refuge here. Worshippers of the Faceless Ones were thought to be using the Dead Man's Coven, along with scheming witches. Soon, they also abandoned these parts and now all that inhabit this place are magical creatures such as Trolls, Fairies, Shape Shifters, sometimes even Vampires."

"Vampires?" Valkyrie frowned.

"Don't worry, we've got some water." Jacintha winked.

"Is it sea water?" Tanith asked.

Jacintha didn't answer.

Tanith sneered to herself.

They were approaching the end of the walk and ahead of them was a small waterfall.

"Hang on." Fletcher piped up. "If Trolls and Vampires hate water, how can they enter through that?"

"It isn't real. It's a illusion to trick mortals if they ever wondered here."

Ghastly explained.

"Clever." Finbar said. They continued and cautiously walked through the dry waterfall.

"Well, that was weird." Valkyrie thought to them.

They all nodded in agreement but gasp as they saw what was beyond them.

A dead forest was laid before them and giant cobwebs was spun over their heads. As they ducked underneath the white, sticky thread, they came out to a opening and the Cavern wound up and up to a small circular hole where limited sun light and moonlight could go through. The place was dark and uninviting and eerily silent. No sight of Trolls just as yet. The group edge further in the forest of black, bare trees. The twigs casting long, creepy shadows over them.

"I think we should split up." Ghastly said.

They nodded in agreement and Valkyrie, Finbar, Tanith and Fletcher were together, whilst Omen, Jacintha and Ghastly were apart in another group.

Valkyrie's group followed a rather foreboding track to the right as the rest chose the path that led left.

"Hello?" Finbar sheepishly began out in the damp, stinking air.

Valkyrie wasn't sure if calling out was a good idea.

Tanith unsheathed her sword. The Water Gun strapped to her back along with everyone else. "I don't like this place one bit."

Valkyrie agreed. Now that they were walking deeper into the woods she started to feel eyes watching them.

"Stop!" Valkyrie stopped in her tracks suddenly. Fletcher walked into her.

"What?" Finbar began to say until he saw the reason.

Ahead of them was a gathering of cloaked beings, bent over some sort of animal feeding upon it. Valkyrie kept her breath as she saw their sharp teeth glistening slightly in the dim sunlight.

"What are they?" Valkyrie asked.

Tanith had come across these before, she gathered the three of them behind her. She had also fought these before. "They are Wastrels, otherwise known as Blackguards."

At their name, they looked up at a Troll they were feasting upon. It still seemed alive. It's harsh, gargling cries made Valkyrie uncomfortable.

The Wastrels looked as pale as the moonlight and their black eyes covered half of their faces. They had flat noses like a pig and a small, rounded mouth with small, snapping, sharp, pointed teeth around the whole mouth, even the edge.

They wore hooded, glossy, black cloaks over their skeletal figures. The Wastrels made a terrifying screech at them and one of them sniffed and bared its hideous teeth and ran straight at them.

"Uh oh!" Cried Tanith.

The Wastrels followed the first one that was charging to them and before they knew it they were being ambushed by the creatures. The Troll's blood dripped from their mouths and reminded Valkyrie of the Vampires. Valkyrie cast a fire flame at them which made them more angrier, Tanith swiped at them with her sword. Fletcher kept transporting, avoiding the leaping Wastrels and getting them confused. Finbar how ever had his eyes closed, standing still.

A Wastrel, that was approaching towards Valkyrie was drooling and sniffing her. Valkyrie felt disgusted. She used a gust of wind to try to blow him away but that didn't work. She cast more flames at it. To Valkyrie's relief one of her flames lit it's cloaks and before it knew what was happening the wastrel was screaming a high pitched shriek and was enveloped in fire.

Tanith was in combat against a fast paced Wastrel that used it's long sleeves to whip Tanith's skin and her blade away from it. She was getting difficulty to wound him. Valkyrie was just about to give her a hand with a flame until Fletcher suddenly appeared and grabbed Tanith then disappeared with her again as a deathly blow swiped the air where Tanith was only standing nanoseconds before. Valkyrie had to admit Fletcher was improving. Valkyrie saw two Wastrels sneak behind Finbar who still, remained still with his eyes closed.

"Look out!" Valkyrie shouted a warning at him.

She ran towards him as the two Wastrels touched them. But as they did Finbar's body shook and a pulse of blue energy burst out of him and swept the two Wastrels fifty yards in the air. Finbar opened his eyes slowly as if awakening. Valkyrie looked at him questioningly, her head tilting.

He shrugged. "Being a seer has it's upsides, man."

Valkyrie smiled but turned her attention back at the danger.

There were three Wastrels remaining.

Valkyrie saw Tanith and Fletcher running back on the scene. Tanith blushing slightly, but not in a good way. Fletcher look very proud of himself.

"Come on guys!" Demanded Tanith. "If we beat these three we could save that Troll and take him back to his kind. They might be soft on us if we help him."

They all agreed but they still had three of them left. The Wastrels were creating a triangle shape around them. One towards Tanith and one next to Valkyrie and the other next to Fletcher. Tanith swiped at her Wastrel and it dodged. Tanith spun around with the sword at her head height and she was lucky. The blade slit it's throat a green blood ran out. The Wastrel collapsed.

Valkyrie's Wastrel was sneaking quickly from side to side and leapt suddenly at her. Before she could summon a flame the wastrel landed on top of her and they both went rolling in the mud. The wastrel started scratching at her with it's nails. Valkyrie willed a flame and it came, and when her hand was free she punched the flame into it's face. It scream and rolled off her, turning and twisting on the ground. The fire spread to it's cloak and soon it was consumed in fire.

The only thing Fletcher had for a weapon was the water gun and he wasn't sure whether it would work., but he handled it anyway and started squirting it to the wastrel. To his surprised the moment the water hit it's skin, steam was rising from it and hissing of the skin. It was as though the skin was burning. Revolting to look, Fletcher covered his eyes as the wastrel literally melted before him.

"Ha! Who would have known?"

Valkyrie laughed as Tanith and Finbar started to join in relief. Finbar had went to the aid of the wounded Troll.

"Hey! I dunno much about first aid, but I think this Troll needs some treatment!"

The three rushed to the side of the Troll who was unconscious. The Wastrels scratched at it's belly and were just about to tear the flesh by the looks of it. Fletcher became faint.

Tanith caught him in time and laid him on the ground.

"Poor thing. Even if it is a Troll." Tanith said.

"Lets take him to the Trolls." Valkyrie decided.


	14. Chapter 14

Finbar and Tanith carried the small, but heavy Troll with Finbar's sixth sense to find the village of the Trolls.

Valkyrie and Fletcher followed behind.

The Troll started to stir from unconsciousness and started moaning. Tanith and Finbar quickly laid him down as he awoke. The Troll wore skin rags and fur and it's skin was similar to a toads. It had a big, messy mane of hair growing down it's back and around his face with a long unkempt beard. he had sharp teeth and rolling chins but around his neck was a beautiful golden necklace. Doubtless it was one of many jewels the Troll stolen for his 'magpie' needs.

He came around as everyone knelt before him.

He grunted and tried to struggle away from them, but he was too weak and deeply in pain.

"It's alright. We're getting help for you." Tanith assured him.

He winced and looked down himself. He went paler, if that were possible.

"Have you done this to me?" He roared, and winced again.

"No, no. It was the wastrels. Don't worry. They're gone!" Valkyrie assured him.

As they were talking Finbar was ahead, sensing the location of the others. He crept through a bunch of trees and was hidden from view.

"Fletcher, put your jacket off and press it against the stomach, here." Tanith instructed him. Fletcher grimaced and looked at the troll than to his pristine, white coat.

"Now!" Tanith pressed him. He unwilling unzipped it and folded it up and pressed it over the Troll's wounds.

"Bloody wastrels..." The troll murmured as Fletcher pressed. "Who the hell are you anyway?"

Valkyrie began. "We came here to talk to you, to the Trolls. We believe you have stolen something we need-"

"Stolen?!" The troll interrupted, outraged. "We Trolls simply collect valuable objects that are in poor, unkempt condition and we revive them and keep them. No harm in that, eh?" his voice was rasping yet he didn't seem to bothered by it. He was too angry.

"Well, we hope you might know something about a very valuable object. A skull."

"A skull?" The troll asked. "A goat's? An ogre? I got a very good leprechaun skull. Made out of gold tis is. But mind you, I won't give you that."

Valkyrie was distracted a little by the fact there was a skull made out of gold. "A leprechauns skull is gold?"

"Aye, very pretty."

Tanith went back to the subject. "We were hoping of a skull you stole - I mean borrowed - form a human skeleton. A living skeleton."

"A living skeleton?" He breathed. The pain was hitting hard. Finbar was taking his time getting help and the troll was in a going to a bad way now.

"Yes, do you know who might have it?"

The Troll was thinking than he questioned. "Why do you want his skull anyhow?"

"It's very important. It's a matter of life and death." Valkyrie pressed on.

"Well, I might tell you…"

"Please," Tanith was losing patients.

"I do remember a skull. A few hundred years back. I was only young mind you, but it was quite funny. The troll stole it from a unburied skeleton who he said possessed magical powers to remain alive through death. So, as he saw the skeleton alive. He though if he collected the skull-"

The Troll stopped, Gasping for breath. Blood was seeping through Fletchers had fast and was soaking his white coat crimson. Fletcher tried to keep from gagging.

"Yes?" Tanith encouraged him.

"Well, he though if he and the skull, he would also possess these immortal powers and remain alive forever. Though, a few years after he fell face down in podge, that's our food, and the next he was six feet under. I tell you what, we all laughed our face's off. He was so sure about that skull."

"Very considerate." Fletcher commented sarcastically under his breath.

"If it still here."

"Of course not! That troll was still young. We thought it was cursed and so we buried in the earth. Though we did get a very generous gentleman wanting to buy it off us before then."

Tanith, Valkyrie and Fletcher looked at each other thoughtfully.

"What did this man look alike. Did he say his name?"

Valkyrie was suddenly excited.

"All humans look the same to us. Didn't say a name either. I'm sorry, well, I'm not sorry really, that I can't help you."

He started gasping again for breath and choked. Valkyrie lifted his head but he didn't help him.

"Keep pressing the wound!" Tanith urged Fletcher.

"I am!" He insisted irritated.

The Troll was shaking now and his eyes closing. "Wait!" Valkyrie cried. "Where did you bury the skull! Please help us."

"It's buried in…"

Suddenly, loud cries were heard and a load of people crashed into the meadow, running away from Trolls who were chasing them with pitchforks and other tools as weapons. The people being chased was Omen, Jacintha, Finbar and Ghastly.

Ghastly cried to the others who was knelt dumb folded.

"I don't think we're on their guest list any more!"

The three of them allowed themselves be swept along with the others, trying to exit the Dead Man's Coven.

Some of the Trolls stopped at the side of their wounded comrade but others continue to run out the intruders.

"What was going on there?" Ghastly asked Tanith as they ran to the entrance from where they came.

"It's a long story. Lets explain when we're out of this place!"

The seven of them were safe and out of the tunnels. They were entering the van.

"What happened?" The two groups asked each other in bewilderment.

Valkyrie had heard that the other group had had a run in with the Trolls as they entered there village. Aparently Omen was trying to talk to them in their own tongue and had somehow insulted one of the Trolls and suddenly an angry mob ganged up on them. Finbar joined them just as the Trolls nearly got them but diversed the crowd.

As the van was driven to the Sanctuary to drop Omen, Jacintha and Finbar off, Valkyrie couldn't help but think of tonight, When she would meet the enigmatic Wrath again and teach him Necromancy. She also thought about where the skull could've been buried. They were so close at getting the location until they mob disrupted them. She thought about Finbar's powers again. Surely he could detect it after finding the gate? But she remembered how possessed and traumatised he was. She didn't want to risk it just yet, but tomorrow now. Hopefully they'll get answers tomorrow.

_**Okay the ending was quite rushed, but i hope you liked the troll scene alittle. Im rushing it abit as i'm impatient to write the up coming amazing planned chpaters coming up for you!!! Im so looking forward to it. And those of you who are still waiting on my next chapter for Warlock's Apocalypse, i promise i get around to writing it soon!! thats my one priority!! ;)**_

_**PLease continue your awesome and much appreciated Reviews!!!! xxx**_


	15. Chapter 15

**From Dawn to Dusk.**

_Dusk wasn't a happy man, nor a happy vampire. Since that night where Prong heeled Jack battled with him in the dark water's off Dublin Harbour, Dusk sat in the darkness plotting his revenge. Dusk was full of wrath and a need to avenge. A cracked mirror before Dusk showed his hideous scar running down his cheek. A long, red, unhealed scar. Dusk remembered that old myth how vampire's didn't have a reflection. Well, for this unfortunate vampire, I did and he hated it. He grabbed the mirror in rage and threw to the floor where he smashed in hundreds of pieces. While Dusk, sitting facing a blank wall on a crooked desk he noticed the note he received a week before. He didn't know who is was from, but it was a consideration whether Dusk would join the Deleterious. _

_Dusk had never heard of any organization but while Dusk read he understood that it would be a group against a certain Detective and his allies. Skulduggery Pleasant. _

_Dusk had not hesitated to accept and wrote a quite reply. There was just one problem. Dusk was scared. Scared of the outside world, in particular, water. Since falling in to the sea it had terrified him, pain seeping through his body like the coldness it held. _

_The sun was no harm of him as long as he kept his human form but he avoided the thin beam of light through a gap from boards that covered the old Inn. It was a 17__th__ century building covered in envy that had taking over the building so much the owners left and since the Inn was left in abandonment. Hidden within the thick, dark envy. _

_Dusk checked the grandfather clock in the corner. He was due an injection. _

_Dusk was inspecting a visitor, the sender of the note. The writer didn't leave a name and Dusk was interested…and suspicious. _

_He had waited till the first crack of dawn, and as Dusk began to descend and headlight of a car shone through the gaps. Dusk checked his clock. 10pm. Dusk quickly caught a jab at his arm._

_He heard a knock at the door and Dusk slowly approached it and undid the locks, one by one. The man on the other side had patients. Dusk wanted to see who was this man who wished to go up against the Sanctuary, who wanted the Faceless Ones to return. It must been a fine an, one who is brave and powerful. Someone who was clever to outwit everybody. _

_However as Dusk slowly opened the door, it was not who he was expecting.. Dusk scowled with contempt and kept himself from pouncing on the grinning man before him._

_That Stetson, those boots, that bad, smelly brown leather jacket covered with dirt. And those shades, shades that covered the hideous fact he had no eyeballs. _

"_Billy-Ray Sanguine!" Dusk snarled. _

"_Dusk," Sanguine was equally disgusted, but insisted on coming in. _

_Dusk moved aside reluctantly. _

"_I wish I didn't take the injection now. I would so have love a Texan snack."_

"_I hope you having been feeling self conscious with that scar of yours, Dusk,. Looking very bad." He winced theatrically and it was followed by smile after seeing Dusk's face fell. _

"_I didn't know such a moron would stand up as a founder of a daft named corporation. I would nearly join I feel that sorry for you but seeing as I'm a little busy at the moment, I wouldn't."_

_"Busy?" Sanguine grimaced at the place Dusk hid. "You've been hiding like a coward haven't you?"_

_Dusk flew at him and pinned him at a wall_

"_Shall we just get to business?" Sanguine yawn. _

_What Sanguine had seen before him was a broken man, a vampire who was too afraid to change himself. He had lost his touch. Sanguine sighed. Dusk released him._

"_What is your game? You said in the letter you want to start an up rise of rebels and bandits against the Sanctuary. The Deleterious." Dusk sat down on a chair next to a broken down desk. Sanguine remained stood. _

"_I am planning to control the Sanctuary."_

"_Why would you do that?"_

"_For a better world." Sanguine kneeled forward, his head tilted. "You have heard about Skulduggery Pleasant haven't you?"_

"_Do not mention him to me!" He grab a dirty plate from the desk and threw across the room. Sanguine liked this. He was still angry inside. He was still fighting. _

"_He's gone. Without him this job would be so easy."_

"_And what about the girl," Dusk snarled. That girl had haunted him, had made him lose his control over himself. He wanted revenge. Why had he been hiding in this dump for this long. He decided. _

"_She's still here, trying to bring Skulduggery back, but that won't happen. That's why I want you with us. You can handle her." If Sanguine had eye's they would've gleamed. And so did Dusk's. _

"_I place a deal with you. I'll join your so called 'revolution' but leave me the girl, she is mine."_

"_As you wish," he nodded. "I did this for you, you know. I know that you would want to be the one to kill her."_

"_Kill her? Who said I was going to kill her?"_

"_Sorry?"_

"_No, Sanguine. I am going to change her. Being a vampire is far worser than death itself"_

_. _


	16. Chapter 16

**The Forgotten Grave.**

"Valkyrie I really want you to be careful,"

"For the last time, Tanith, I'll be fine! He won't murder me!"

Tanith coughed, "I won't put that pass him!"

Valkyrie scowled at her. She sighed. "Solomon Wreath wants us to find the skull, and that's what I'm doing."

"But do you really need to learn this death magic?" Tanith pressed. They were outside Valkyrie's home, Tanith on her bike and Valkyrie standing next to her. The sky was turning red. Her visit was looming.

"Look, I'll phone as soon as something unusual happens. I swear!" Valkyrie reassured her. Tanith nodded and put her helmet on.

"I expect to see you here early in the morning! Make sure you'll be there!"

"I won't be square, I promise!" Smiled Valkyrie.

Tanith sighed again because she knew how Valkyrie was like. She lived by her own rules. Kind of like herself.

She kicked off with a wave and she left Valkyrie at the bottom of her garden path. She braced herself to the normality of her house. After interviewing dying Trolls a little of television would be comforting.

"Mum, Dad?" Valkyrie shouted out. No one answered. She started to panic, she checked the kitchen, the living room, dining room, even their bedrooms but they weren't there. Then when she went back into the hall way she noticed a note on a corner table.

_Steph, gone to Fergus's. Apparently _

_the twins have been bullying some yr 7's in school. She's in bits. Though sadly she wants us there to lend a shoulder to cry on. Sorry we're not there, but there is some salad in the fridge and potatoes in a dish. Count yourself lucky you're not with us. _

_Love you, Mum and Dad. xxx _

"Great," Valkyrie said out loud. She was actually quite happy. She could replace herself for the reflection too quite easily. Plus, she was starving and some salad was what she needed. She glanced at the clock. 7:00. Two hours to go.

She got the note out and unscrambled it to see the address.

She had to admit, the address wasn't very promising and it was very foreboding. Forgotten Grave. That was definitely somewhere in a graveyard.

She sighed deeply. Why couldn't she see him in somewhere more lovely and less sinister, and at day time. Sorcerers were so mysterious at times.

Valkyrie wasn't much in a good mood after today. They still didn't have a clue where the skull was. Why were they far behind? Surely Finbar had a clue where it was, seeing as he was a sensitive? She was getting impatient and yet no answers came before her. The only choice she had was to see Wreath. Maybe he had some answers she needed so much.

Valkyrie was running down into the city where the graveyard was, it was on Cemetery Lane, which was a bit of a give away to Valkyrie, also, the lane was accurately named. Valkyrie knew where she was but there was one problem, where was this forgotten grave? There were hundreds, perhaps thousands of graves there and Valkyrie didn't feel like walking around trying to read the engraftments all night. She entered through the high iron bar gates. She looked around and noticed crows sitting on the railings, almost as if they were waiting for her. She kept her head down but she was the only soul in the graveyard. The sun was low but it was still warm and light, the peak of summer it was. But Valkyrie still shivered. Graveyards didn't bother her much usually but for some reason now it unnerved her. Where was he?

She glanced at her watched and the time was five to nine. She was approaching the back of the graveyard where older gravestones were laid against a bank. These were centuries old. Valkyrie mused with herself that perhaps these were Ancients gravestones, but it was too childish an idea. Behind that bank was a small wood and then back gardens to houses on a normal street.

She found a black cat staring at her with big, yellow eyes that glowed on a low tree branch. Valkyrie looked around to see if Wreath was arriving anywhere near but, yet again, there was no one. She turned back at the cat and held out her hand.

"Here, Puss, Puss." She cued. She always wanted a pet, since she was a toddler but her mother was allergic to cats and her father would most probably forget to feed it, but Valkyrie always said when she moved out, she would get a cat or a dog.

The cat's tail curved back and forth, as if debating with itself whether to get closer. It did and jumped quick and long at Valkyrie's feet.

"Good cat." Valkyrie stroked the cat as it purred.

"I see you've made a friend."

Valkyrie jumped which made the cat jump and run back in to the cover of the trees.

She saw Wreath behind her, leaning on his black cane with an amused smile on his face.

Valkyrie's face turned red realising that Wreath caught her vulnerable.

"I was trying to find that Forgotten Grave. But I kind of gave up."

Wreath smiled but shook his head. "Actually, you found it."

"Where?" Valkyrie frowned.

"That cat." He gestured towards the animal as it crept through a small gap at a base of a tree.

"I'm sorry?" Valkyrie was confused. "I thought I was looking for a grave?"

Wreath laughed. "Yes, but the cat is it's keeper. It guards the grave."

Valkyrie thought she got what Wreath was saying but then it went.

"Well, we're here so I guess we don't need the forgotten grave."

"Oh yes we do. I'm afraid that hole in the earth there is my slumber."

Valkyrie stared at Wreath than to where to the cat disappeared at then back at Wreath again.

"You're serious? You live in there?"

"You know I like being near the dead, makes me appreciate myself more, my powers, my…"

"Insanity?" Valkyrie finished for him.

He looked at Valkyrie whole in the face. "I see Skulduggery has left a little of his wit in you. I can tell. However I do not attend in standing around making small talk. I'm hoping you will join me for a while and we can discuss your findings."

He raised an arms towards the 'grave' at the hole in the roots of the tree and beckoned Valkyrie towards it. She was at the edge of what can be described as a rabbits hole. Valkyrie remembered her father reading her the book, 'Alice in Wonderland.' This definitely did remind her of that, and Valkyrie was Alice.

Wreath was at her side and Valkyrie stared down the hole. "So, we just crawl in?"

"Now, Now, Miss Cain. I do not go around with dirt on my cloak. I have another way of entering."

And with that he tugged at a branch hanging above him and the hole grew bigger, the edge growing wider with the dirt rolling over for space. As the hole grew it revealed a door at the utmost base of the ancient tree, almost carved into it.

Once the transformation was done Wreath held out his arm towards the door. "After you, Miss Cain." And bowed.

Valkyrie observed the doorknob, a snake coiled. She touched it then turned it, almost believing that it was fake that it wouldn't open, but it did and dim candle light illuminated the threshold and a smart, dark, gothic like corridor with a red carpet led straight ahead.

"The first door would be our setting." Wreath advised as he followed Valkyrie in and she opened the first door she found in the corridor.

The room was like a drawing room, Victorian in style with a grand fireplace. She saw the black cat stretched out of the fire and sleeping in the warmth. Wreath settled himself on a seat next to the fire and patted the cat. He welcomed Valkyrie to join him.

"I heard you went to Dead Man's Coven. Very risky indeed. Find a lead?"

Valkyrie shook her head glumly. "The Trolls sold it on and we don't know who the buyer was. I don't know why anyone would want to buy a skull though."

Solomon Wreath shrugged. "They're rare things, I suppose. Collector's items"

He sat up in his chair and kneeled towards Valkyrie. "I was hoping Valkyrie whether you have deciding on being trained on Necromancy. Have you decided upon my offer?"

Valkyrie was hesitant to answer however she knew what was at stake if Skulduggery didn't return. She would always sacrifice herself to save the world. Anyway, Necromancy wasn't _that _bad, she tried to reassure herself.

She nodded, "I think I'm willing to do anything to retrieve back Skulduggery Pleasant."

"You seem very willing for the return of Detective Pleasant." Wreath pondered curiously.

She shrugged. "He's our only hope."

"Indeed, it seems so."

Valkyrie noticed a gleam in his eyes as he said that. Jealousy perhaps?

Over the last half hour, Wreath talked through the basics of Necromancy. He had led her to another room without furniture and styled like a training room with different obstacles. One Obstacle was a mannequin sort which was nailed to the ground, another was a machine which, Wreath told her, could conjure magic that would be used against a Necromancer. The third was apparently just a chest. A body sized, hard wooden chest with gold locks. That, Wreath said, was a task that tested a expert trainee Necromancer as a last test. Valkyrie wondered what was inside.

"Valkyrie, you are not going to try out the first task just yet. First I want you to practise with the thoughts I advise you to think about. The ones where you thought you were going to die. Do you think you can manage that?"

Valkyrie nodded reluctantly. There were countless moments where death was close she could recall on. She wasn't sure whether she liked to remember times likes those. However she understood how Necromancer's made their power. Through hatred and bad thoughts. As yet, it wasn't her thing.

"Now, I talk to you through how shadows appear. It is fuelled from your emotions of a certain bad memory which is why it is so vital to conjure up a bad moment. However, unlike Elementals, the shadows won't come from your hands, instead you must pick an object of importance to you which would hold your power. Without that object, you haven't got you powers with you. Understand?"

Valkyrie was taking it all in.

"So, you have the fuel, you have yet have your object but now the missing ingredient is…"

"Yes?" Valkyrie asked slowly.

Wreath looked in her eyes. "Death. That you have commanded a death."

Valkyrie was speechless. "What? You mean, I have to kill someone in order to be a Necromancer?" She was furious. Of all the things he could ask of her.

"You need not to worry Valkyrie. That deed is done."

"What?! I think I would remember killing someone, thank you!"

"The night in Aranmore Farm. When Sanguine approached you…"

Valkyrie, in her mind, went back to that horrible night. She now saw Sanguine, his razor, his chest, him burying himself in the ground shouting at her with hatred and shock. He was dying. She had killed him, he had buried himself.

She gasped.

"No, I didn't. He could still be alive!"

Wreath shook his head. "I checked. I've checked everywhere. But, Valkyrie, don't hate yourself because of it. Sanguine was evil, he was on the bad side. He deserved it."

Valkyrie was shaking her head. But of course, she had chosen this life and it was her responsibility. Sometimes killing was in her job subscription. She had to do it now or then.

"You just have to accept it. Just think about it. That action has let you help Skulduggery. Its not all bad news."

Valkyrie nodded her head.

"Now," Wreath continued, straightening up and observing Valkyrie as his new trainee. "All we need to know is whether you are meant to be a Necromancer and then it would be plain sailing from hereon in."

"What if I'm not meant to be a Necromancer, what if I'm truly an Elemental?"

"Trust me, Valkyrie. I can sense a fellow necromancer a mile away."

Valkyrie walked to the door.

"I do hope I have opened your mind to new possibilities, Miss Cain."

Valkyrie thought awhile. "Perhaps." She wasn't certain. She didn't feel comfortable with him unlike when she was with Skulduggery. The process of the Necromancy was mentally challenging and different to Elemental magic. However, they did warn her. This was the path she had chosen and she must stand by that.

Once Valkyrie Cain had disappeared Wreath sat himself back down by the fire. The cat was still laid on the rug in front of the fire. Wreath looked at her.

"I think I have persuaded her, Blacke. I'm sure her path is for her to be a Necromancer. I knew it the first time I met her. All we need to do is to find the Skull."

The cat stirred and stared at him back with her big, golden eyes. When her eyes opened the irises widened, her muscles moving under the flesh. The bones growing and transform ring her frame. The fur growing longer at the head and some disappearing.

As soon as Wreath noticed the transformation of Blacke, he went to the corner of the room and found the robe he then held out to the now developed woman in front of the fireplace. Her hair as black as it had been when she was a cat, her eyes glowing yellow. But now she had beautiful human features.

"Here, change into this."

Wreath didn't glance at her until she was fully clothed but turned when she told him to.

"I think where we can find the Skull." The woman said.

Wreath frowned. "Since when?"

"Since when Valkyrie Cain said about the Trolls. I know who else would value the skull as much as we would."

"Who?" Wreath asked.

Blacke gave Wreath an intense stare. "I will show you."

_**Okay, I hoped that was good. I kinda have load of ideas now about this, but I haven't got long to finish it as Book is out so I want to complete this story as soon as. I know who Blacke is in the story and it's gonna be a shocker when you find out!! Can't wait!!**_

_**Please R&R as ever guys!!**_

_**Rhos Furey**_


	17. Chapter 17

The Package.

"Stephanie, there's a package for you through the post darling!" Yelled Melissa Edgley up the stairs to her daughter.

Valkyrie frowned curiously and ran down the stairs to see what it was. Skulduggery once told her about mysterious packages. They could be, according to Skulduggery, ticking 'spike' bombs or lethal gas. But Valkyrie decided to give Skulduggery the benefit of the doubt and open it anyway.

To her shock, however, beneath the brown wrapping paper, was a green velvet box, a jewellery box more like.

Valkyrie hadn't even opened it yet and already thought it was sent to the wrong person. But no, she had checked the paper, her name and address written across it. Valkyrie willed herself to open it and almost gasped.

It was a necklace. But not just any necklace. It was one of those Irish designs similar to a Claddagh rind, with a ring of silver in the chain and had hands clasping a heart with a crown on top if it. Inside the heart however was a emerald stone. It was beautiful and she fingered it softly. But their was an question in her head, screaming, "Who the hell gave this to me?"

There was no note, no name, no nothing. It wasn't her birthday. Her birthday was 6 months ago, and Christmas was also months away.

She sighed and wrapped the box in the brown paper again as her mother entered the hall way again. "What was it?"

Valkyrie lied and shrugged. "Just some books I order from the net."

"Looks a bit small." her mother questioned.

"Look! I'm gonna be late for school!" and Valkyrie, avoiding any other questions, turned her back and ran up the stairs.

"You sure you haven't given this to me?" Valkyrie asked Fletcher while She, Ghastly, Tanith and Fletcher were at the Kenspeckle's laboratory.

"No!" Fletcher said for the tenth time. "I didn't send it to you. Why would I?" Fletcher hid a blush.

Valkyrie turned back to Tanith and Ghastly again but they shook their heads.

"Do you know who would have?"

Tanith thought for awhile. "I don't think so. It wouldn't have been an enemy. Kenspeckle has already checked if their were any charms or dark spells cast in it. Its genuine alright."

Valkyrie sighed and put the box in her pocket. She didn't want to wear the necklace until she knew who had given it to her.

Valkyrie was in her bedroom that night. She laid on her bed on top of the duvet in her full clothes. Her bedside lamp was on as she turned the necklace about in her fingers. The stone was beautiful. As soon as light fell upon it, green light dazzled out.

Something about that stone called out for her to wear it. She sat up right in her bed, legs crossed and clasped it around her neck. Suddenly the chain of the necklace grew warm, and the longer it was on, it became warmer and warmer until it became almost hot. Valkyrie looked towards her as a spur of green light burst from the stone and a figure was formed from the green flames.

Valkyrie's eyes started to widen as she began to realise what the stone in the necklace was.

An Echo Stone.

That which belonged to Skulduggery Pleasant.

"Er…Hi."

Valkyrie's jaw dropped when he spoke. She couldn't believe it. Skulduggery, or whomever he gave it to send it to her when he was somehow gone, had given her an echo stone of Detective Pleasant. Bloody hell!

Valkyrie still hadn't spoken but continue to stare at the vision before her.

The Echo Skulduggery shuffled slightly.

"Cat got your tongue?" Skulduggery was slightly amused.

Valkyrie stood up, still silent and punch her hand out to his head. The echo quickly tried to duck but the hand went through his skull.

"Hey! What was that for?"

Valkyrie smiled a bit. "Just checking."

The Echo Skulduggery put his hat off his skull and scratch it. "Checking it was just an Echo me?"

Valkyrie felt a little guilty, "Yeah."

He shrugged, forgetting about it.

"Just slightly interested." Skulduggery began. " But how did I die?"

Valkyrie opened her mouth to answer, but the echo vision still carried on, "Did I heroically risked my own life for some beautiful woman, rescuing her from a pack of vampires. Or got eaten by the Lough Eden Monster-?"

"Lough Eden Monster?" Valkyrie couldn't help but answer.

Skulduggery looked at her. "I guess that didn't happen. No?"

Valkyrie shook her head sadly, "No."

"Then," The Echo Skulduggery's voice became quieter, more softer, more sadder. "How did I, or the real I, die?"

Valkyrie smirked despite herself. "Actually, you, me and the gang, were up against the Faceless Ones themselves. So I guess you can be quite proud by the way you went."

"Wow," Skulduggery tilted his head then nodded. "That _is _actually better then being eaten by the Lough Eden Monster, although, I gather I wouldn't taste very nice. No flesh, see."

Valkyrie laughed but became serious once more. "You had thrown the Grotesquery inside the realm but just when the void was closing, a tentacle grabbed Skulduggery - you, I don't know who, and dragged you or him inside. It was too late to get you back."

"Well, that sucks."

"It doesn't really, because we can save you. I mean him. God, I'm so confused."

The Echo Skulduggery stood up, attentive.

"You can save me?"

"Apparently your real skull is the new Isthmus Anchor because it's still in this reality. So, as long as we have that and Fletcher, we can open the gate again and save him."

"I do have every memory Skulduggery ever had, and I can say that the skull was stolen by Trolls. Other than that, I'm not sure."

Valkyrie smiled. "It's okay. We have already seen the trolls and they have sold it on."

"Do you know who to?"

Valkyrie shook her head. "They said he was strange and had covered his face. We don't have a clue who it is."

The Echo Skulduggery sighed, his shoulders sagged. "Well, good luck. But I'm afraid, when this message ends, I cannot return. This echo stone holds only one chance of a meeting. And I wanted me to tell you something. It's very important."

Valkyrie sat down on the bed, ready for what he was going to say. Did Skulduggery serious believe that the fight at Aranmore Farm would be his last? Had he left some sort of a goodbye or something to help them for further cases?

Skulduggery sat down next to her and faced her.

"Skulduggery, or I," He paused, than nodded to himself. "I am no inch of the man Skulduggery was, so I may address him in third person."

Valkyrie nodded and bowed her head. It was nice to be talking to him, but it wasn't him. For some reason Gordon was different. It was like the real Gordon had saved half of his soul in the stone and therefore continued to live. This Echo however just appeared to be a messenger. A conscious of Skulduggery.

"Skulduggery wishes you to stay away from Solomon Wreath. He is very concerned whether you will join him. He was very aware about what Wreath was planning before that night on the farm, and so, knowing that something would happen to him, he wanted me to warn you."

This was something Valkyrie didn't see coming. "Why? Why is he so adamant I don't?"

"Valkyrie, I know Wreath, I don't trust him and so Skulduggery doesn't trust him. There is some…history between us. I only want what is best for you."

Valkyrie seemed confused. "But Wreath is swearing that necromancy would help save Skulduggery! He think I could save Skulduggery myself if I learn the right skills."

Skulduggery placed his hat on his skull again, troubled. "In my knowledge Skulduggery has given me, I see no useful way necromancy can benefit in the Realm of the Faceless Ones."

"But," Valkyrie didn't understand. Wreath had assured her that Necromancy was one power that was the greatest, the most powerful. Was all this a way so that Wreath could somehow control her? Use her unique blood and her skills to come against her real allies? Her real side? Was Wreath dragging her towards the dark side, towards those who called themselves _The Deleterious_?

Valkyrie had been stupid. She had been sucked in like a fool, thinking that what she was learning was what was better for her, her friends, the Sanctuary. Wreath had seen the potential in her that Skulduggery wouldn't have. There was just one problem. Why would Solomon Wreath tell her that the gate was still open? That Skulduggery could be saved? Surely Wreath didn't want Skulduggery back?

Maybe he wanted to see the sheer disappointment that Skulduggery would feel seeing Valkyrie somewhere different, away from the things he thought right. What she thought was right.

"There's one more thing." Skulduggery suddenly interrupted Valkyrie's thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Skulduggery would hate me saying this, but he wouldn't know. But I think you should know."

Valkyrie raised her eyebrow, wanting him to continue.

"Please don't go out with Fletcher Renn!"

Valkyrie burst out laughing, laying back on the bed, her hands on her stomach. She couldn't stop.

"Don't worry about that. I won't!"

"Skulduggery cares a lot about you. He sees a lot of his past in you. His family. You're the only person he's ever been close to after his death. It looks like you've finally pulled down his protective barriers. Well done!"

Valkyrie was speechless. She hadn't thought that Skulduggery had appreciated her that much. She was slightly proud about that.

"Yeah, that was what I basically wanted to say. Now he's gone, you can move on and make you're life right again. That's what he would've wanted."

Skulduggery stood up suddenly and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Valkyrie frowned, standing up with him. "I'm still trying to save him. Nothing is going to stop me. Now I've seen who Wreath really is it makes me more determined to get him back where he belongs."

The Echo Skulduggery gave an air about him of a grin. "His fighting spirit still lives on. In you, it looks like."

Valkyrie nodded, her face proud as ever. "You got that right."

Skulduggery took his hand out but remembered they couldn't shake hands.

"It's great meeting you at last!"

"You too. You know what?"

"What?"

"You're very individual aren't you? How come?"

Skulduggery seemed to chuckle slightly and turned to Valkyrie. "I always think of myself as the younger him. The one before war and revenge change him. I'm probably his old self fighting to be released. I feel that you and the others will change that in him. I hope so."

The stone on Valkyrie's necklace started to glow again which meant the Echo Skulduggery was ready to go back inside it."

"Before you go," Valkyrie hurried. "Who sent me the necklace?"

"Finbar. He owed me a favour."

And with a blast of green light he was gone. Skulduggery, or the closest thing from him in the weeks coming to months, she last saw him.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Gah, im the worst fanfic writer ever!!. I'm sorry how old and boring this is. i should have finished it way before dark days came out but i was doing my AS levels. :/ But now i'll try and finish this ASAP... thanks to all my faithfull readers, i don't deserve you!! :P**_

_**Anyway, to save time i have put lots of plots in this one that comes together quickly so i could go to the awesome conclusion for you...**_

**It's all coming together now...**

Valkyrie had made a decision. She would continue her training with Wreath, however she would only be so as a spy, to discover what his real intentions were. She didn't want him to become suspicious. Meanwhile, Tanith, Ghastly and Fletcher would research on Skulduggery's old aquitances and enemies.

"What will Omen, Finbar and Jac be doing?" Tanith asked.

"I have instructed them to snoop on China."

"You what?" Tanith said loadly.

Valkyrie sighed. "She's been acting kinda funny recently. I'm suspicious. Skulduggery never trusted her."

"And what about you?" Fletcher asked concerned.

"Me? I'm going to learn Necromancy to discover Wreath's true intentions. You were right, Tanith. There is something up."

Valkyrie had told them about Skulduggery's Echo stone and what he had said.

That morning they were outside the Graveyard where Wreath lived. But they weren't the only ones.

_That same day in that same location at the same time, Dusk and Sanguine were making plans. Though, they didn't agree to eachtoher's ideas._

_"No, we're going to catch her when she least expects it." Sanguine persisted. "We'll wait when she's all alone and when her back-up goes and then I'll sneak through the ground and drag her down. She hates that, I know she does."_

_"Oh, weldone Mr originality!" Dusk bickered sarcastically. "Why did I agree with this? All this sneaking around? I want to bite her head off!"_

_"Ok, Bat-man, I'd keep tightlipped if I were you. She's coming closer now."_

_The two dived back behind a gravestone they were hiding behind. _

_"You know, this does nothing for my dignity or my reputation. Anyway, I thought we were getting more back up."_

_"Whats the matter Dusk? Afraid of attacking a single girl by ourselves?" Sanguine teased._

_"You know, there is nothing stopping me from killing you right now. Your blade did scar me afterall." Dusk gave him a dark, cold look of bloodlust._

_Pause...Sanguine gulped. _

_"So, my plan or yours?" Sanguine sighed as they watched Tanith and Fletcher leaving valkyrie's side and climbing into a van. _

_"Mine, naturally." grinned Dusk. _

_"Suit yourself." grumbled Sanguine. _

__

"Wreath? Wreath?" Valkyrie called.

She hated him sometimes. He would either pop up unexpectedly when she didn't need him and when she did he was nowhere in sight.

"Hello?"

Bloody necromancers!

She heard a twig snapped. She turned around quickly. No one.

She lit a flame in her hand.

"Ha, you haven't changed abit, Miss Cain."

"Sanguine?!" Valkyrie turned around and flew a flame at him. Naturally he disappeared in the ground to avoid the flame and sproated behind her and grabbed her arms down so she couldn't defend herself.

"I take it I didn't kill you afterall. Shame." Valkyrie struggled.

"No, but how wonderful that you didn't. I mean. It would have taking the oppertunity from me to see you die. Of course, i won't be doing the messing part."

"Oh, enlighten me. Who is? i'd love to know?"

By this time Sanguine moved facing her, still clutching her fist tightly. Valkyrie, by this point would have kicked his ankles and he would have flown back but she was curious, plus, she didn't see Sanguine as a paryicular real fret.

Then, Sanguine nodded to someone beyond Valkyrie's shoulder. valkyrie's neck strained to see who it was.

Ah, this man however, she was particulalry scared of.

Dusk.

Omen was sitting at one of China's library tables, with an opened book. Omen was reletively unknown by China and worked as a perfect spy.

Jacintha was waiting outside the building, waiting for a sign from Omen when he needed her. For she was the fighter, not him.

China had been wondering restlessly about the shelves and encountered Omen seemingly reading a book about magical creatures.

"I haven't seen you in here before." China's smooth voice told Omen.

he looked up and instantly trued to resist the urge to kiss her and declare his love for her.

"I've only just moved to Dublin. I heard alot about the library, mostly about it's beautiful mistress, China Sorrows."

"Oh, now, you're making me blush."

"Ha, I knew you were the woman who owned the library. The legend is true."

China sat down beside him, clearly mysterified by him. "Your name is?"

"Call me Omen. I'm an expert on Magical Creatures and Beast. Research is my hobbie." He signaled at the book he was holding.

"Some might call you a workaholic, it seems." Smiled China.

"You know what they say, work hard, play hard." he winked.

Before they could go on further, her servent appeared from the labryrinth of book selves and informed China.

"There is a stranger who wishes to speak to you, Miss Sorrows."

"Oh," china responded, clearly sad how her talk with omen grew short. "Well, it was good speaking to you, omen. I would like the pleasure to invite to the apartment sometime." She reached out her hand to shake. Instead omen kissed her hand, "A date, Miss Sorrows?"

"Perhaps." she grinned.

As soon as she was out of sight, Omen flipped his phone open. "Jac. Yep, I've seen her. She has a visitor...What..? His face was covered? Why?...Ok, I'm going to spy...No, no, wait, Jac, I've got everything covered."

and with that he hung up. He took out a lass bottle with golden liquid inside. He opened the cork and gulped it all down. that should do the trick.

Before his eyes his hands dissolved to nothing and so did the rest of his body. By 10 seconds, he was completely invisable.

"I love magic." He smirked.

"Hello, Valkyrie."

Dusk stepped close to her, so she could see his hideous scar up close.

"Ergh, is this a 'This is your life' moment with a reuinion with all my enemies who fail to kill me."

Valkyrie was acting all tough but really wished Wreath would show uo soon, the fool. If Skulduggery was still here he would have saved her by now.

"Someone sounds too confident seeing as they're going to die, or worst, get infected soon."

Valkyrie kicked Santguine hard at the knee and he bent down in pain and let go of her. She ran and flew fire balls at Dusk who lunged at her. She dipped and dived on the ground as Dusk flew over her and skidded towards her as she ran to the opposite direction where sanguine put his blade out and disappeared into the earth.

Valkyrie moaned as a hand grabbed her from beloew the ground and she fell to the dirt where Dusk landed on top of her back, pinning her shoulder down and clearing the hair from her neck.

Dusk stooped down hungrily at her neck and bit through her skin. Valkyrie screamed and struggled, kicking her legs. Then she blacked out...

China entered her apartment not expecting the hard punch in the face by a gloved hand before she saw her attacker. She collapsed against the wall and touched symbols on her jaw line. Suddenly the masked attacker felw backwards and crashed into her desk.

She quickly ran up to him as he moaned underneath his clown mask. She ripped it off his face to identify him. She almost collapse to see what was behind it.

"Skulduggery?!"

She fell back on her bottom hard and stared up with wide eyes as the skeleton stood up, sweeping bits of woods of off him. He sneered.

"No! Not Skulduggery! I've come back to haunt you China. For what you did to me!"

China felt her guts curling inside her as she recognised that voice.

The voice of Remus Crux.

Omen had followed China into the apartment and was also taken aback by the sudden attack made on China. He dived out of the way and witnessed the fight and the unmasking. Even Omen believed he was Skulduggery Pleasant. But he knew that voice too, the crazy, manic detective who stayed away from the other Sanctuary employers, he pinned up photographs of Skulduggery Pleasant in his study and trying to uncover Skulduggery as the enemy. The last he heard of Crux was that he was now a Drunkard.

China stood up shakingly then she composed herself. She stared at Cruz's new face, a skull.

"Of course. You know how Skulduggery came back alive. So, once my men killed you, you knew someone could raise you back to life. Who, by curiousity, did that?"

Cruz stepped towards China. "You're not the only one with secrets, China. Before our last meeting I uncovered something and it was sucessful. As people may say I'm not a great detective, but my God, I was the only one who had found it."

"Found what?"

"Skulduggery's Skull, of course." he boasted. "And I knew someone who wanted that Skull badly. So, we made a deal. I kind of figured something gruesome would happen to me once I knew your secret so I selected Wreath to rise me up in return for Skuldugery's Skull."

"Wreath has the skull?"

"Aye, and, lets say, he ain't going to use it to get Skulduggery back, thats for sure."

"What is he going to do with it?"

"Well, there's this shapeshifter, see? And apparently she wants revenge on someone."

"No!" China Breathed, really afraid now.

"Yep, you might have heard of her. Her name is Blacke."

"Hello?"

"Wha..?" Valkyrie moaned as she stirred back up from a deep sleep.

"Don't move so fast, you could black out again."

Valkyrie opened her eyes and found a beautiful woman with long, curly black hair. She first thought she was China but her eyes were different and her face longer.

"Here, drink this up."

The stranger passed Valkyrie a glass of water and she drank it.

Valkyrie sat up to take a better look where she noticed both Sanguine and Dusk knocked out, laying on the ground soundlessly around them.

"What did you do?" She tried to turn her head towards the woman but she yelled out in pain as her neck ached.

"I bandaged it for you but it still hurts. Don't worry, the vampire venom is out though."

Valkyrie touched her neck and nodded, "Thank you. I though i was a gonner there for a moment." Valkyrie laughed nervously.

"I would have to if i were in the same position too."

"Whats your name by the way?" valkyrie wanted to thank her saviour. So much for Wreath.

The dar woman smiled sweetly to valkyrie. "My name's Blacke."

_**Well, thats all i could write for now. Sorry if you're confused. Really ill today and i kinda rushed the plot so feel free to nag at my poor structure and plotline! XD**_

_**hope you like that Crux is back. Was hoping he'd appear later in the book but i wanted a surprise now. **_

_**Please R&R!!**_

_**Rhos Furey!**_


End file.
